Crimson
by Vonya
Summary: AU[SK] "For over five centuries I've waited, longing for the day when I would finally bathe in the blood of the one who turned me. Blinded by my thirst for revenge, I failed to notice that I was the one being hunted all along...
1. The Hunt

A/N: This is my first fic, so please be kind. Any suggestions or comments would be highly appreciated, and please don't forget to review at the end!

Disclaimer: Yes, I'm the fourteen-year-old kid who owns Inuyasha. What's it to ya?

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Crimson Chapter 1- The Hunt

_'A determined individual is the most dangerous thing in the world.' -Anonymous_

**xXx**

The sidewalk was littered with garbage as I entered one of Tokyo's shadier districts. Trying not to gag as I walked by a passed-out bum reeking of cheap alcohol, I quickly made my way towards the run-down building across the street. Avoiding the streetlights that lined the entire road, I quietly slid into the side alley of the building.

Cautiously making my way around a dumpster, I pressed my back against the graffiti-covered wall. Drawing a deep breath, my hands tightened around the hilt of the katana that hung from my side. Slowly drawing the weapon from its sheathe, I took a moment to admire its deadly glint as it caught the glow of the streetlight above. Smiling wickedly, I jumped onto the ledge of the third floor window with a single leap, using the hilt of the sword to break the fragile glass panes. Uncaring of whoever might have been looking at that moment, I punched out what remained of the window. Watching the glass shards fall to the pavement below, I listened for any sort of movement before entering the dark apartment.

**xXx**

The inside of the apartment was filthy, dark stains of what could have been blood splattered along the gray walls. Wrinkling my nose at the smell of booze that permeated throughout the apartment, I held my blade out in front of me. Though the apartment was pitch-black, my eyes picked up every detail from the tattered curtains to the empty beer bottles strewn across the stained carpet. Quietly making my way towards what I figured was the bedroom, my gloved hand reached out to turn the doorknob when the sound of breaking glass came from inside. Snarling, I managed to take the door down with a single kick.

The first thing I saw was the broken window, its surrounding curtains fluttering from the gentle summer breeze. I turned around swiftly when a whimper came from the large bed behind me. Promptly yanking the covers off the bed, I raised an eyebrow when I saw a naked woman huddling in the corner, a petrified look on her face. Snorting in disgust, I quickly strode towards the window. Jumping through it without hesitation, a wicked smile curved my lips. Let the hunt begin…

**xXx**

I leapt from one rooftop to another, my feet barely making a sound each time I landed. The bustle of the city could be heard from the street below, its pedestrians unaware of the two figures leaping from one building to the next. I was getting quite irritated. The harsh glare of the city's lights and the tumult of Tokyo's usual traffic were slowly beginning to wear down my nerves.

It was a full moon tonight, the silver glow illuminating the figure I was chasing— my prey. Gritting my teeth, I swiped away the light sheen of sweat that had formed on my brow. I had been chasing him for almost an hour to no avail. Deciding that it had to end soon, I drove him to the outskirts of the city, leaving the large metropolis behind. Glancing downwards, a maze of dark alleyways and narrow streets met my gaze. I sped up my pace. Surely no one would notice a body in a place like this…

**xXx**

He was trapped. Two old, run-down buildings met together to form a solid brick wall that even I couldn't jump over. Breathing in the stench of fear that rolled off him in waves, a feral grin curved my lips. Drawing the katana, I calmly walked towards the trembling figure.

Moonlight lit up the entire alleyway, glinting off the deadly blade I held in my right hand. Without warning, he turned around and lunged at me, charging wildly in a desperate attempt to escape. Easily dodging his attack, I caught a glimpse of his long raven locks. I froze, heart pounding, as old memories resurfaced. Catching me off guard, he managed to slug me across the face. Violently shoving those memories aside, I desperately tried to focus on the task at hand.

As he pulled back his fist to deliver another blow, I saw my chance. Using my left hand, I caught his wrist, stopping his blow in mid-air. Swiftly twisting his arm to the side, I smiled viciously at his cry of pain. Releasing my hold on his arm, I dropped to the ground, a single kick sweeping his legs out from under him. Reaching for the katana, I gazed into his eyes a split-second before plunging the blade through his torso. Closing my eyes as blood sprayed in every direction, I shuddered as pure sadistic pleasure and unbridled disgust rushed through my veins at the same time. Holding the man until he slumped against me, I gradually withdrew my sword from his lifeless body.

Raising the blade to my lips, I slowly licked off a droplet blood that lingered on the forged steel. Swirling the sweet metallic taste around in my mouth, I swallowed. Turning my gaze towards the dead man, I took in his youthful features. Long obsidian tresses fanned out beneath him, setting a sharp contrast to the blood-slicked ground.

Sadness welled up inside me. It wasn't him.

Sighing, I tasted the lingering traces of his blood on my tongue. His freshly spilt blood called out to me, tempting me with their bright crimson hue. Frowning darkly, I crouched down near his dead body, inhaling deeply.

'A New-Blood.'

Somewhere in dark recesses of my mind, I wondered how such an inexperienced being had actually managed to land a blow on me. Feeling half-ashamed, I wiped away the trickle of blood that ran down the corner of my mouth, before gently closing his glassy blue eyes with my fingertips. Leaning over, I placed a tender kiss on his cold cheek. "May you rest in peace," I whispered.

Standing up, I ran my tongue over my teeth, unsurprised to find the canines slightly elongated. Casting a final glance behind my back, I vanished into the darkness of the night.

**xXx**

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Well there you have it, folks. I know most of you are either confused as hell by now, and are already planning to flame me, but I promise everything will be explained in due time! Now leave a review or I'll stick my plot bunnies on you. Thanks!

Vonya


	2. Speculations

A/N: Um…I admit this one's a little late in the coming, but having slave-driving teachers does delay you somewhat. Anyways, here's chapter two. Either it'll give you some answers, or make you ponder the mystery until your head explodes.

Disclaimer: Sure, I own Inuyasha. Little green men from Mars also come to abduct me once a month.

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Crimson

Chapter 2- Speculations

_'A determined individual is the most dangerous thing in the world' -Anonymous_

**xXx**

"Kagome… wake up."

Groaning, I slowly opened my eyes. Though the room was dimly lit, I could still make out the blurred faces that hovered above me. Noticing that I was spread out on the couch, I quickly rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, gazing up blearily into the faces of my comrades. Taking note of their serious expressions, I tried to explain myself before realizing that my throat was parched. A glass of water was pressed against my lips, and I drank from it greedily before facing the people around me.

"Explain." Miroku said tersely, tossing me the morning edition of the newspaper. Blinking in confusion, I quickly scanned the front page. Stifling a loud groan at the bold headlines that spread across the front page, I managed to school my features into a blank mask.

"Well?" Miroku asked, obviously annoyed. Snatching the newspaper out of my hands, he brandished it in front of my face. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

The woman sitting to his right shot him an annoyed glare. "Shut the hell up, Miroku. Kagome can speak for herself." Directing her attention at me, Sango smiled encouragingly. "Come on, Kagome. Tell us what happened." I sighed in frustration. "Look guys, I really didn't think that he'd be found so soon."

Miroku stared at me in disbelief. "Look at the headlines, Kagome! 'Homeless Man Finds Butchered Corpse in Alley.' What the hell were we supposed to think? Do you know much trouble you've caused? Hunters are probably—" Sango chose to interfere at that moment, smacking him soundly on the back of the head.

Taking a deep breath, she calmly turned towards me. "You know that I don't like to agree with Miroku, but what on earth were you thinking, Kagome?" she asked, arching an eyebrow. "And why did you use that old katana? A gun would have made the kill much cleaner." I looked away sheepishly. "You know what my opinions on those so-called weapons are, Sango." I muttered. Sango shook her head disapprovingly, while Miroku rolled his eyes in frustration.

"Can you at least tell us why you killed him?" Miroku asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence. My expression hardened. "You've read the news, Miroku. Bloods are being murdered all over the city." Miroku eyed me skeptically. "And let me guess…you thought he was the killer?" I nodded grimly.

A pregnant pause followed.

"Well, was he?" Sango asked tentatively. I shook my head. "He turned out to be a New-Blood." Miroku inhaled sharply. "A New Blood?" He asked incredulously. I nodded once more. "But there hasn't been any births or turnings for decades…" Sango muttered, trailing off.

Minutes passed by in silence before Miroku abruptly stood up, his chair making a sharp screeching noise against the hardwood floor. He looked down at me, violet eyes clouded with confusion. "Excuse me, ladies. I must find out more about this. If what Kagome says is true, there may be a rogue Blood running around Tokyo." with that ominous statement, he quickly exited the room.

Sango followed him with her gaze, her brown eyes shining with concern.

I shifted uncomfortably on the couch, which drew her attention to me once more. She regarded me for a few seconds, before her brows drew together in a frown. "And you," she started, eyeing my disapprovingly, "you should be ashamed of yourself. Shippo found you passed out on the floor, completely covered in blood. Do you know how worried we were?" I squirmed at her matronly tone, having the good sense to appear abashed. "You look rather pale. How long has it been since you've fed, Kagome?" She asked, eyes softening as they regarded my slumped form. I licked my lips nervously. "F-Five weeks." I choked out.

I could almost hear my friend's blood pressure skyrocketing.

"What? Five weeks? My god, Kagome…what were you thinking? By all means, you shouldn't even have been able to walk yesterday, much less chase after another Blood for half the night!"

I gazed up at her pleadingly."You know I hate doing what I have to do, Sango!" I whined, attempting to sound pathetic. "Bullshit!" she spat, glaring down at me. "You have to feed tonight, Kagome. It's for your own good." I wanted to protest, but one look at her expression told me that it would've been useless.

Sighing in defeat, I slumped back against the couch. Sango rolled her eyes in frustration before leaning forward in her chair to face me at eye-level. "Look, Kagome. I know you don't like to feed, but it's been this way for centuries. It's the way of life for our kind." I looked away, trying to tune out her kind words. I couldn't deny it. Even I could feel the weakness in my body after more than a month of fasting.

Sango stood up, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Come on, Kagome. Let's get you changed." With a start, I only then realized that I was still dressed in the blood-splattered attire from last night. Allowing Sango to steer me towards one of the many bathrooms in the large mansion, I stared blankly at each closed window that we passed.

Sunlight did not bother our kind at all, although most vampires preferred the night and the shadowed secrets that it held. Indeed, most of the stories that the mortals had spun about us were untrue. Why the hell would we be afraid of crosses and holy water, for crying out loud? Sure, killing a vampire with a wooden stake made sense, but anyone would die if they had that driven through their heart. That book called 'Dracula' really did wonders to our reputation. Ironically enough, the author wrote it after meeting an actual Blood. Not surprisingly, the Blood was killed afterwards.

Vampires were not meant to associate with mortals, and those who did were often subjected to severe punishment.

Memories from long ago suddenly stirred to life. Forcibly shoving them aside, I focused on the priceless paintings and lavish decorations that covered the walls. Money was of little concern when one had lived for over five centuries. Our kind had always tried to remain obscure to the humans around us, but secrets leaked out nonetheless.

To this day, the few mortals that knew about our existence hunted us…tracking us down as though we were common animals, and not the ancient race that had once dominated over them long ago. As the years passed, our numbers dwindled due to their hunts. The mortals…they bred like rodents. Bloods were taken down easily at times, overwhelmed with their numbers.

I sighed as Sango dragged me down yet another darkened hallway. It was really quite pathetic. The few vampires that were still alive today were scattered around the globe, forced into hiding by the ones that they had once thought of as slaves.

Deep in thought, I blinked as Sango suddenly pushed me into a well-lit bathroom. Gritting my teeth at the sudden glare of light, I frowned darkly at Sango, who only shrugged in return. Trying not to take notice of the cold, marble-tiled floor beneath my bare feet, I slowly made my way towards the bathroom mirror.

Reaching over to turn on the faucet, I examined my reflection in the mirror. A pale woman with haunted blue eyes stared back, the dried streaks of blood on her face giving her a wild and untamed look. Tearing my gaze away, I quickly splashed some cold water onto my face. The sight of blood always did have an unnerving effect on me.

Running a hand through my hair, I turned around when the door opened behind me. Sango came in, carrying a set of fresh clothing in her arms. Accepting the clothes that she held out to me, I mumbled a quick 'thanks' before slipping on the sleeveless black shirt that she had bought. Busy pulling on a matching pair of black slacks, I failed to notice her intense gaze as she leaned against the bathroom wall.

"Tell me something, Kagome…" she began, breaking my concentration as I struggled to put on a pair of heavy combat boots. "What?" I growled absently, trying to pull a boot onto my left foot. I could've ripped the damn thing apart if I wanted to, but I never was one to destroy perfectly good objects. Just when I was about to consider shredding the footwear, Sango spoke again. "Kagome…why did you chase that Blood last night, when a hunter may very well be the one who's causing the deaths?" the question definitely caught me by surprise.

Mind reeling, I struggled to come up with a logical answer. "I have yet to see such a skilled hunter." I countered lamely.

Sango arched an eyebrow, regarding me silently. I shifted uncomfortably under her knowing gaze. "Did he…happen to remind you of anyone?" she asked finally. I looked away. My silence was answer enough.

I didn't look up until the door finally closed behind Sango's retreating form.

**xXx**

My fingers glided over the smooth wooden banister as I made my way down the creaking staircase. The mansion was old when I bought it, but I wasn't looking for a brand new house at that time. I was searching for a home that was situated in a remote area, away from prying eyes.

Stopping in front of the living room, a small smile tilted my lips when I spotted the figure snoring away on the couch. Quietly entering the dimly lit room, I slowly made my way towards the sleeping individual. Grabbing the nearby cushion, I leaned over his slumbering form. Allowing myself a wicked grin, I promptly brought the cushion down on his head.

He woke with a start, sputtering obscenities as he tried to shield himself from the onslaught. Grumbling under his breath, he grabbed the other cushion and started to retaliate. Laughter filled the room, as the friendly spar soon turned into a full-out pillow fight.

Dodging on one of his wild swings, I chuckled heartily as he stumbled past me, struggling to regain his balance. Seizing the opportunity, I playfully brought the cushion down onto his exposed backside.

Shaking my head in amusement, I watched as he finally managed to stand upright, muttering darkly as he attempted to straighten his disheveled locks.

Laughing, I ran over to him, ignoring the wary gleam in his eyes. Deliberately messing up his flaming red hair, I regarded the sullen teenager affectionately. "That should teach you to be on your guard at all times, Shippo." I teased, smirking at the light red cast that settled over his cheekbones.

"I was tired. I stayed up late." He grumbled, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans. Falling back against the couch, I arched an eyebrow. "Uh huh. And I'm guessing that you watched porn films all night long?"

This time, his face turned bright crimson as he shook his head vigorously. Laughing, I casually waved off his stammered reply. "Relax. I'm just kidding, you know."

Relief flashed through his emerald eyes as he dropped down beside me on the couch, legs spread out in front of him. "Actually, I'm blaming you for turning me into an insomniac. Everyone was worried when I found you passed out on the living room floor last night." His expression turned serious. "Sango told me what happened, you know."

I frowned, annoyed that my so-called friend had already informed everyone regarding last night's events. Giving him a withering glare, I tilted my chin at a stubborn angle. "And now I suppose you're going to rant about how badly I screwed up?" I retorted, eyeing the serious expression that settled over his usually cheerful face. He sighed, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Kagome, I understand why you killed that Blood, but you of all people should know that we never kill for such blatant reasons."

My expression darkened. "Hear me well, Shippo. I did not kill him needlessly." Judging by his expression, I knew that he hadn't believed a single word that I said.

Ignoring the fact that he knew I was lying, I made a final desperate attempt to hide my growing frustration. "Damn it, Shippo! He was a _New-Blood_. Someone must've turned him, for crying out loud! Besides, there hasn't been a shred of evidence to suggest that a hunter's behind all these killings."

Shippo shifted uncomfortably. "You're the oldest of us, Kagome. You knew the risks when you killed that man. " His eyes narrowed. "You were trying to draw _him _out, weren't you?"

I turned away, walking briskly towards the door. "Kagome! This thing you're about to do, it's not right! K—"

The rest of his sentence was cut off as I slammed the door shut behind me.

**xXx**

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A/N: Okay, I'm not even bothering to explain myself out of this one. I'll just be honest, and say that I got a little lazy. Anyways, our beloved demon lord should be making an appearance in the next chapter…if I can actually get off the couch long enough to write it, that is. Ah, well. Review or I'll stick my plot bunnies on you. Thanks! 

Vonya


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